Inventory

RIB 2055:Matri/bus suis / milite[s] / [… (‘For their own mother goddesses, the soldiers…’). Altar found before 1834 SE of Bowness. Now built into farm building in village. Source: RIB I p.629

Analysis

We find the Second Legion building the Stone Wall here (2054), presumably during the initial replacement of the Turf Wall, whilst the altar for the mother goddesses now at Port Carlisle (2055) probably comes from the nearby Milecastle 79.

Analysis

The two stones erected by the Seventh and Eighth Cohorts (2051-2) must date to the replacement of the turf fort with the stone one (although it is possible they may equally derive from the curtain wall). The stone (2053) recording work by the Vindomoruci (presumably from the area around Vindomora, modern Ebchester in County Durham) on the other hand probably belongs to the Severan rebuild, when tribal levies are found at work.

Introduction

The paucity of inscriptions from this stretch probably reflects the fact that some three miles of the Wall across Burgh Marsh have never been detected and may not have been available to be robbed for building stone. It is difficult to believe that there were any fewer inscriptions here than elsewhere along Hadrian’s Wall.

Inventory

RIB 2049:ICI[..] / […]I[.] / […]II[..] (‘?’). Building stone found before 1732 in Burgh by Sands. Source: RIB I p.628

Analysis

With only two inscriptions available from the Burgh-nbby-Sands to Drumburgh stretch, and only one of those (2050) legible, it is difficult to draw conclusions about this particular epigraphic corpus. It is interesting to note that the Sixth Legion appear to be viewing the mother goddesses in much the same way as the Lares and Penates, in a domestic role. This altar was found near Milecastle 73, just east of Burgh Marsh, and once more may reflect a legionary detachment acting in a garrison role.

Introduction

As with other western sites on the Wall, Burgh has not exactly been over=productive in its epigraphy.

Inventory

RIB 2038:Deo / Bela/tuca(dro) (‘For the god Belatucadrus’). Altar found before 1769 in the vicarage garden at Burgh. Now lost. Source: RIB I pp.624-5

RIB 2039

RIB 2039:Deo Belato/cadro Antr(onius) / Auf(idianus) posuit ar/am pro se et s/uis (‘For the god Belatucadrus, Antronius Aufidianus set up this altar for himself and for his family’). Altar found at Hallstones near Burgh. Source: RIB I p.625

RIB 2045:…]ALA TVVP Po/s(tumius) Cen[s]orinus / [pro] salute sua / [et suorum] pos(uit) (‘… Postumius Censorinus set this up for the welfare of himself and his family’). Altar found before 1750 in Burgh. Source: RIB I p.627

Analysis

The worship of Belatucadrus (2038-9, 2044) is once again prominent and there is the usual crop of Jupiter altars set up by unit commanders (2041-2). We also find an altar to the rather unusual deity Latis, otherwise found at Birdoswald (1897). The Moors mentioned in 2042 recall the story in the Historia Augusta (Severus 22.4-5) about Septimius Severus’ ill-omened encounter with a black man near Hadrian’s Wall. Other residents from elsewhere in the empire included German troops (2041) and a Dacian (2046).

RIB 2036: …]SAC[…] / […]V[… (‘?’). Fragment found in 1886 behind a house in Beaumont. Source: RIB I p.624

RIB 2037:…]PA[…] / […]V[… (‘?’). Fragment found in 1886 behind a house in Beaumont. Source: RIB I p.624

Analysis

The few centurial stones (2031-3) probably date to the replacement of the Turf Wall in stone under Antoninus Pius.

The peltate terminal on the Twentieth Legion’s building stone (2035) betrays the fact that it too is Antonine in date, so belongs to the period between the return from the Antonine Wall and the Severan reconstruction.

By far the most interesting inscription is that on the altar set up by the commander of the Sixth Legion (2034) to mark successes ‘trans vallum‘ (beyond the Wall). This confirms other sources which refer to the Wall as vallum (rampart), not murus (wall) as might be expected.

Introduction

The fort of the largest unit on Hadrian’s Wall, the double-strength cavalry unit of ala Petriana, is poorly understood and has not produced the volume of inscriptions of some smaller forts elsewhere. Paradoxically, none of the inscriptions actually mentions the unit, although a cavalryman is depicted on one of the tombstones.

RIB 2026:Dedica[ta] / Imp(eratore) Vero [III et] / Um(m)idio [Quadrato] / [co(n)s(ulibus)] (‘Dedicated in the consulship of the Emperor Verus, for the third time, and of Um(m)idius Quadratus’). Altar fragment found in 1931 W of the fort. Source: RIB I p.620

RIB 2030:[D]i[s] Manibus / [… (‘For the immortal shades…’). Tombstone found in 1787 built into Stanwix church, now at Netherhall. Source: RIB I p.621

Analysis

The building inscriptions imply the construction in stone of the (originally turf-and-timber) fort by the Twentieth Legion (2028) and its refurbishment by the Sixth (2027) in AD 238–44, but this may be an over-simplistic interpretation. It is certainly salutary that no inscription names the unit in garrison, ala Petriana (which is named in the Notitia Dignitatum). The cavalry tombstone (2030), of the traditional ‘rider’ type showing a barbarian foe being trampled, leaves little room for doubt about a mounted presence here.

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